How much should my wedding cake cost?

This is a helpful guide for deciding how much to spend on your wedding cake. Including some tips for figuring out ‘what should I budget for my wedding cake?’

I help you to choose a wedding cake style that fits within your wedding cake budget. I understand that weddings are costly. I have already written a blog on how my wedding cakes are priced according to the ingredients used and the work involved. But this blog is tailored to your personal requirements helping you choose a wedding cake budget that is both achievable and realistic. So, when asking “How much should I budget for my wedding cake?’ there are a few things to think about and I will go through these considerations below.

How much your wedding cake should cost depends on your budget and expectations:

Firstly, is important to note that at Love From Luisa, we can work with most budgets. The price of your cake will reflect the time it takes to execute your design. Including the skill involved and the quality of the ingredients used. If you want to know more about how your wedding cake is priced you can see our pricing page, see my blog posts or download my price guide.

Every ‘Love From Luisa’ sustainably made wedding cake is individually priced. I will provide an initial quotation upon enquiry. Once I have a little more information on the design, and your overall aesthetic and expectations for your wedding cake I can get you a detailed quote for you to consider. You can let us know your budget for your wedding cake upon enquiry. This way Luisa can give you an idea of what can be achieved for you for this price.

How much do your bespoke wedding cakes cost?

My cakes are priced depending on the materials used and the time it takes to execute the overall design. For example:

 Semi-naked cakes are priced from £5.20 per coffee/wedding portion.

Buttercream-covered cakes are priced from £5.90 per coffee/wedding serve.

Ganache-covered cakes are priced at £6.40 per coffee/wedding serving and is our recommended finish due to their luxurious taste and superior finish for hot weather conditions. 

Vintage Piped Buttercream cakes are priced from £6.50 per coffee/wedding serve.

Pressed edible Flower cakes are from £6.90 per coffee/wedding serving with a buttercream finish.

Fondant-covered cakes start from £7.00 per coffee/wedding serving

I also price design extras for intricate or time-consuming embellishments. You can find a guide to these base prices and design extras on my wedding cake pricing page and in the PDF document above. I raise my prices with inflation, usually in December so all bookings made before then, for the following year, benefit from my lower pricing structure.

I have created a guide for three main wedding budget categories below:

These three examples are worked out based on roughly 60 wedding servings. 60 servings would provide a small three-tier cake with 8, 6 and 4-inch tiers. However, you can roughly calculate the cost of your wedding cake with the following calculation; A. Number of servings required + B. Extras and embellishments (per tier).

If you are sticking to a budget the best way to reduce the cost, without compromising on the design, would be to reduce the number of servings. Maybe it isn’t as important to you that every guest gets a full-size slice of cake. Can they share a slice? Say you have 200 guests and are already serving dessert, you may want the cake more for the cake-cutting ceremony and a few important guests.

You may also wish to cater for a certain percentage of your guests only. If, for example, you will be serving a three-course meal, with dessert for your daytime guests you can reasonably assume that 5% – 15% may not eat cake later in the evening so you could reduce your cake servings by 10% This will help to keep the budget down.

So using this calculation, for example, if you have 100 guests and want to cater for 70% (70 guests) you would require a medium-large 3-tier cake. With, for example, a ganache finish and hand-painted fruit petals cascading down each tier and gold details, this would be; A. (£6.40 x 70) £448 + B. (Fruit petals: £70 + Gold leaf and details: £20) = £578 (saving £192 overall by reducing the cake size by 30%)

I am always happy to discuss budget options, sizes and servings in our consultation.

Delivery is worked out as a separate quote based on the distance from my cake studio and included as a separate quote from the above calculations.

3 budget categories: Modest, Showstopper and Bells & Whistles

When thinking about how much your wedding cake should cost it is important to first consider your budget. Your budget will be the biggest factor in setting the limits of your design. The second biggest consideration will be the number of guests you are planning to serve. The size of your cake will be the main component in determining how much your wedding cake will cost. I price my cakes per serving and the design extras are worked out per tier. So, the larger your wedding cake the more time and materials it will take to construct. And the more it will cost overall. You can see more on choosing the correct cake size with the right amount of servings here: Cake Sizes & Servings. Below you will see the three budget categories; modest, showstopper and bells & whistles.

Finally, the overall design will be the final factor in determining the overall cost of your wedding cake. The average amount of time it takes to research, design and sketch cake designs is factored into the cost per serving of each wedding cake but the personal design elements are calculated individually for each cake. The design is worked out by calculating the cost of materials and ingredients. And the time and skill it takes to execute a design.

I send a rough quote over to you after the initial enquiry and phone consultation. This is followed by a detailed quote as soon as I know exactly what design you are looking for. This way you can make a decision about working with me as quickly as possible.

An opulent & indulgent cake, made sustainably, with all the bells & whistles: from £580 for three tiers

Our third category is for couples for whom budget is less of a consideration. Or for conscious couples who have specific wedding cake design ideas with a budget set aside for their special cake. A three-tier wedding cake with 60 servings starts from £500. This would be a fully customisable design decorated in chocolate ganache or fondant in modern and unique trends. The sky is the limit when it comes to designs in this category.

The sky is the limit when it comes to designs in this category. Such as this dramatic wafer paper design with a floating tier.

A show-stopping cake, made sustainably, on a luxury wedding cake budget: from £500 for three tiers

A more lavish wedding cake budget will get you a more elaborate wedding cake design. With extras and embellishments to offset your cake and fit with your unique wedding theme. A three-tier wedding cake with 60 servings starts from £450. This includes my signature fruit petal twist designs in your choice of colour palette. With options for panted buttercream designs, individually hand-painted decorations and/or fresh floral arrangements.

A more elaborate wedding cake such as my signature fruit petal twist design

Category 1 – A Modest Wedding Cake Budget

Eco-wedding cake design on a modest budget: From £396 for three tiers

If you are planning a wedding on a modest budget, but still want to think about your sustainable impact, a three-tier wedding cake with 60 serves starts from £312. This includes minimalist, modern buttercream or semi-naked design. With some minimal fresh floristry florals to compliment the cake and your wedding decor. More intricate design extras can be added per tier. You can see our ‘Extras & Embellishments’ here for a guide.

Minimalist naked-cake design with fresh eucalyptus foliage, for example.

What’s included in my quote?

These three main budgets all include a consultation with Luisa to discuss your needs, a cake design & sketch. With our premium, seasonally sourced, menu options.

Wedding Cake Delivery:

Delivery is free in central Brighton. Delivery further afield is calculated based on the distance from my kitchen in Brighton (BN1). There is a £35 set-up fee on all wedding cakes.

Carbon offset deliveries

I offer carbon-neutral deliveries within central Brighton and personal and professional set-up services for an hourly rate. Delivery further afield is also available and will be calculated on enquiry.

Your wedding cake isn’t some ordinary cake made to feed the masses. It is a personal and luxury experience that forms an integral part of your special day.

All of our premium cake prices reflect the following:

• All our ingredients are locally, responsibly and ethically sourced and organic where possible.
• I source my ingredients from small-batch local suppliers where possible and support independent and female-led businesses.
• Any animal products are sourced from farms that ensure high animal welfare standards.
• Premium flavours have the highest quality, seasonal ingredients, are tried and tested recipes and are a labour of love.
• Wedding cakes come with a design consultation and a full personal service. You will get an initial consultation, unique cake design, and cake sketches and I will be available to make any changes you require (up to one month before your date).

Final Thoughts on Choosing a Wedding Cake Budget That Is Right for You

All my cakes, no matter what budget category, will be made using high-quality, seasonal ingredients. Wedding cakes have flavours from my premium wedding cake menu. All my tiered celebration cakes can of course be ordered as wedding cakes. Celebration cakes do not have the same level of detail in design and service offered as wedding cakes. This makes the ordering process more streamlined but there are fewer options for design and customisation. If you want to look at our tiered celebration cakes, which have slightly less intricate flavours and designs, please feel free to browse these options.

If you need to find a wedding cake on a very tight budget you could order a celebration cake for your wedding. Browse the celebration cake gallery and check out the celebration cake flavours. Or start an order for a celebration cake for collection here.

I hope that you found this wedding cake budget helpful. Please remember this is just a guide and I am happy to advise on specific budgets. I know that planning a wedding in these trying times is difficult. I am happy to discuss your options so please get in touch for a quote or with any questions.

Here are some informative blogs by other cake makers on their budget advice and budget considerations from wedding blogs:

• Malarkey Cakes
• Hitched.com